Interactive VR Visualization to Assess the Collision Probability with Space Debris (joint topic with the German Aerospace Center)

Description: The increasing amount of space debris in earth orbit poses a growing threat to space travel. Therefore, it is very important to know where space debris is located in orbit and whether there is a possibility of collisions with satellites or space crafts in operation.
The goal is to develop a VR software that visualizes orbital objects. The prototype should facilitate the evaluation of possible collisions of objects and support the decision whether, for example, a course correction of a satellite is necessary. However, the determination of the position of objects in orbit is associated with uncertainties. Various influences on objects in Earth orbit, such as the interaction with the atmosphere or variations in the gravitational field, lead to a deviation between the actual position and the position calculated from the observation data.

Tasks:

  • Research on existing debris visualizations and satellite propagation
  • Implementation of a real-time visualization of debris positions and collision probabilities of objects in orbit
  • Development of methods for the targeted, user-guided interactive analysis of space situations

Requirements:

  • Study of computer science or comparable fields of study
  • Knowledge of computer graphics
  • Experience with software development in Unity/C#